Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray could be named the new coach at the University of Memphis by the end of the weekend.
He emerged as a late candidate to replace the fired Tommy West, who will coach the Tigers in their season finale Friday vs. Tulsa. When West was fired, one of the stipulations for the next coach was that he would need to have been a successful recruiter in Division I. Gray last coached in college in 1995 at Southern Methodist University. But his connections helped put him in the running.
If Gray accepts the job, which it appears he will, it’s uncertain if he will remain with the Redskins for the remainder of the season. Often times assistants stay until the end, but that’s probably more true for teams headed to the playoffs. The Redskins, clearly, are not. Considering how much recruiting he’ll have to do, chances are he’d leave right away. But I don’t know that for sure.
Gray became the voice of the defense last month when coordinator Greg Blache decided he no longer wanted to address the media once a week. Gray came across well in interviews – perhaps serving as a de facto audition for potential suitors such as Memphis.
Personally, Gray has always been one of the best assistants to speak with. I always felt like I learned something about the game after interviewing him, particularly about various coverages.
Gray is scheduled to talk after practice today, around 1:30 p.m.
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